


come fly with me

by wishingwell44



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Cute, Dialogue Heavy, Flirting, Fluff, Flying, HEA, Happily Ever After, Happy Ending, M/M, Meet-Cute, POV Bucky Barnes, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 17:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19407742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wishingwell44/pseuds/wishingwell44
Summary: There's nothing worse than having a talkative person sitting next to you during a flight.Bucky doesn't seem to mind this time.





	come fly with me

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the 5ish hours I awkwardly flirted with a guy during a flight.
> 
> All rights belong to Marvel.
> 
> Un-Beta'd.

Planes.

Bucky hated planes.

He hated the way the pilot pulled out of JFK. He hated the way the airplane smelled. He hated the way the person that would sit next to him always try and make small talk.

Everything was going smoothly for once, though. Like a miracle enacted by God, the Van Wyck Expressway had only one section of traffic during 10 in the morning, bag drop off was a breeze and he managed to get through security with little shegrand about his prosthetic arm, other than the TSA agent telling him he will have to step to the side to be patted down to check, rather than going through the body scanners.

Granted, Bucky was a frequent flyer, thanks to his job, and some agents knew him and knew what happened.

Bucky sat at the bar and swirled his drink. He watched the foam of the beer attach itself to the side of the glass, and slide down slowly.

"Another?" the bartender asked as he cleaned a glass like he was in some sort of old sitcom.

"No, thanks," Bucky slid a twenty across the bar, "have a flight to catch, and I think they're about to start boarding. Keep the change."

"Safe flight."

* * *

Bucky snapped himself into his chair and slid up the window as more people trickled in to the main cabin. He watched sunburnt tourists shove their too large cary-ons into the overhead compartment, he heard the kids crying into their mom's shoulders, and shifted in his too small seat. It wasn't the fear of flying per-say more so the plane it self. They shook. They creaked. They managed to fucking jolt him awake when he was peacefully sleeping.

The sun shone, but every once in a while it would hide behind the clouds that would pass on by.

Bucky heard someone sit right next to him, and heard him slide a bag underneath the chairs in front of him. Bucky looked straight ahead.

Then looked over.

Smiled slightly to the larger man with blonde hair.

Shifted so he wasn't touching their knees together, and looked right back outside.

"Where you headed?" The man next to him asked.

"Uh," Bucky turned to face him. "Jackson Hole."

"Denver myself. Business? Getting some hiking in at Yosemite?"

"Business, and a little bit of pleasure at the resort."

"Cool."

Bucky pursed his lips, and raised his eyebrows in agreement.

Six hours to go.

* * *

"You want some gum?" the blonde hair man asked as the plane sat on the tarmac, "They say it helps with ears popping."

"I'm good, thanks."

"You're welcome."

It sounded genuine.

" _Uh, this is your captain speaking, just going to give you a little update. We're about sixth in line for take off. Shouldn't be more than another ten minutes. Sorry for the wait, but then we should be smooth sailing_ ," the pilot clicked off the PA system.

"That was really casual," Bucky muttered.

"Right?" the blonde man chuckled to the statement that wasn't really supposed to be said aloud. "Way too casual."

Bucky chuckled. "I bet he has aviators on."

"Just chilling in the cockpit."

The conversation ended there.

Still, six hours to go.

* * *

The plane took off, and Bucky held his arm rest with his right hand, and kept his other underneath the bottom of his leg. The shaking. The creaking. The -

"That's such a strange sound the plane is making. It sounds like bubble wrap," the man next to him said, and Bucky gripped the arm rest tighter.

Five and half hours to go.

* * *

Bucky pulled out his computer and booted up Netflix. He powered on his earphones and sat comfortably.

The man next to him started to pull out his earphones. "You're not tuning into _The Secret Life of Pets_?"

It was almost genuine.

"I'm sorry to say, I'm going to have to miss that masterpiece of a film. I have some binge watching I need to take care of."

"What are you watching?"

"Great British Bake Off - the new season."

"They came out with a new season?!"

"Yeah, like last week."

"Ah man, now I'm gonna have to really pay attention to _The Secret Life of Pets_ now. No spoilers please."

"I'll do my best to turn the computer the other way," Bucky replied.

"Thank you. No spoilers who makes the best macaroons."

"Cross my heart."

For the next two hours, the man next to him seemed to genuinely enjoy the movie.

* * *

_"This is your captain speaking, just so you know we have come across a major mid-western storm, so we are going to have to take a little detour. I'll keep you updated."_

"Captain Joe at it again," the blonde man said.

"At it again, with the casual messages," Bucky replied lightly.

"You think he's in a band?"

"Oh, absolutely. I bet he plays bass."

"Fucking kills it at the bass."

* * *

The man sitting next to him was attractive. Large. Blonde. Tattoos on his calf.

It was a black star with two stripes on either side.

Bucky wondered what it meant, but he wasn't going to pry further, so he just trying to keep staring at the TV show in front of him.

* * *

Pretzels were passed down the row.

"Oh, no I'm good" Bucky tried to protest the snack, but the flight attendant walked away. "You want my pretzels?"

"You don't want them?"

"No, I had a full lunch when I was in the airport. You can have them, I swear."

"Okay, well, more snacks for me then. Thanks."

"No problem," Bucky smiled.

Three hours to go.

* * *

"So, where do you come from?" the blonde man asked.

"Brooklyn born and bred," Bucky answered with ease. "You?"

"Brooklyn born as well, actually."

"Nice."

"Lived in upstate for a while. Albany, but after I came back from overseas, I wanted to move back."

"Overseas? Army?"

"Army. You?"

"107th. How long were you out there for?"

"Two deployments before my squad was killed. You?"

"Two as well, before, well," Bucky moved his prosthetic arm, "this. IED."

"Well, thanks for your service."

"It goes to you as well, and I mean that whole hardheartedly."

* * *

The flight attendant came around with their cart. "Drinks?"

"Uh, soda for me," Bucky said.

"Water, thank you," the blonde man said, and passed the cup soda over to Bucky. He gave him a soft thanks.

* * *

Bucky looked outside at the clouds. The formations. The way he could spot a dragon, a pug, a mermaid, and even a bathtub all in the sky.

"Is it okay if I...?" The man next to him said with his phone out. "I never really fly. This view is amazing."

"Yeah, man, go ahead," Bucky tried to lean back as far as he could, as the blonde man leaned forward and took a few pics of the clouds. A few photos were taken and leaned back. "Got any good pictures for the 'gram?"

The man looked at the photo, and then looked back at Bucky before turning the phone around. "Good one," Bucky smiled as the photo was shown.

* * *

_"This is your captain speaking, uh...looks like we're going to have to take a detour. We will not have to take any emergency landings, but there's a very large storm approaching as being told by the FAA. Just going to be an extra hour added to the trip."_

"Alright, thanks Captain Joe," Bucky sighed to no one.

"Just another casual hour added to the trip," the blonde man laughed, and Bucky laughed back.

* * *

Bucky managed to fall asleep for almost half an hour. The trip was lagging, and the never ending sea of farmland underneath was almost mocking him. The man next to him dug into his book. He could hear every page being turned even in his sleep. Bucky shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. He felt his ears start to pop.

"Did we start our descent?" Bucky asked.

"About fifteen minutes ago. Captain Joe told we're headed down to the mile high city soon."

"Thanks."

"So," the man next to him closed his book, "Thirteen F - I'm Steve," he held out a hand.

"Bucky," he took it and shook the man's - Steve's - hand. "Nice to formally meet you," he chuckled.

Steve laughed softly back. "So what business brings you to Jackson Hole?"

"Corporate wish-wash. Nothing fun. Wish it was winter though. Could hit the slopes."

"Ski or snowboard?"

"Ski. I work for a marketing agency, and the resort needs a reinvention, but nothing was working in person, so thus they sent their very best to get the deal sorted."

"I'm sure it will go well."

"Thank you. How about you?"

"Well, since I'm a mailman, I don't think my job can't quite put me on business trips," Steve shrugged.

* * *

_"Prepare for landing,"_ the captain stated over the loudspeaker. Bucky tensed up. His hand gripped the arm rest, and breathed and breathed and -

"What's your favorite color?" Steve asked.

Bucky looked over, anxiety still in his shoulders. "Green," he swallowed.

"Favorite movie?"

"Top Gun. Yours?"

"V for Vendetta."

"Nice."

"When are you coming back to Brooklyn?"

"Three days from now."

"Oh, awesome."

The plane hit the tarmac, pretty hard. " _Fuck."_ Bucky swore hard under his breath and the plane came to a screeching halt. Bucky breathed in and out. "Thank you for the distraction."

"I could see the panic in your face. Thought you could use it."

"Thank you," Bucky smiled.

* * *

"Do you think the captain has a mustache?" Bucky asked.

"God, I hope so," Steve answered as they waited for people to walk in front of them. They shuffled through the cabin, and took a peak when they got to the cockpit.

"No mustache."

"What a shame."

* * *

"Well," Bucky said as he adjusted the strap to his bag, "It's been a pleasure flying with you, Steve."

"You as well, Bucky. Have a nice trip. Maybe I'll see you on the flight home," Steve shrugged.

"Maybe, just maybe."

* * *

Bucky strapped himself into the chair, and took a couple of deep breaths as he cracked open a fresh book he got at Hudson News, happy to head back to New York. It was a run of the mill _New York Times #1 Best Seller_ thriller that in all honesty was pretty good. He listened to the people trying to shove their bags into the cramped spaces, the kids crying, and the people around him complaining about leg space.

He heard someone sit next to him.

"Hey thirteen F," the man who sat next to him said. He knew that voice. Steve. "How was your trip?" Bucky looked over to see Steve smiling, and Bucky smiled right back.


End file.
